Population: 9 815.210 thousand people (2011)
Area: 153911.0 sq. km
According to citypopulationreview.com, Georgia has several nicknames: Peach State, Imperial State of the South, Peanut State, Pecan State. This traditionally agrarian state has had a major impact on US culture.
The ancient population of Georgia left behind artifacts of the Mound Builder and Mississippian cultures. In the 16th century, Cherokee (in the north) and Muskogee lived here. For Europeans, Georgia was opened by the Spaniards (1512). The Spanish settlement of San Miguel de Guldape (1526) is the first European colony in the United States. She lasted 2 months. At the end of the 17th century, English colonizers were sent here. Georgia Colony (in honor of King George II of England) was founded in 1732. Georgia was a stronghold for the Loyalists in the Revolutionary War (1775-83) and the Confederates in the American Civil War.
In Georgia, Coca-Cola was invented (1886), the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) was written. The state capital of Atlanta is home to CNN, Martin Luther King, and the capital of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Georgia attractions are varied. These are museums (children’s, scientific, arts, civil war, Coca-Cola), the largest oceanarium of the Earth, the zoo, the botanical and Olympic parks of Atlanta, the rocks of Stone Mountain with the Confederation Memorial bas-relief, the amusement park “Six Flags”. Also popular are the old gold mining town of Dolenga, Tibi Island with the Marine Science Center, Warm Springs where the “little White House” is located, old houses and neighborhoods of Savannah. Among natural objects, the Okefenokee swamp and Calloway Gardens in the mountains deserve attention.
The state is located in an oceanic subtropical climate zone with abundant rainfall. There are also mild tornadoes here. Georgia has many rivers of medium size: Savannah, Oltamaho, Chattahoochee, Flint. The southern regions and the Atlantic coast are swampy and belong to the Wet Lands. In the north, the Blue Mountains (Brustown Bold, 1458 meters) predominate, dropping to the south.
In addition to agriculture, Georgia has developed light, chemical industries, mechanical engineering and the production of electrical equipment.
ATHENS
Population: 113.398 thousand people (2007)
Area: 343.0 sq. km
Founded: 1801
City status since: 1806
Time zone: UTC-5
Athens is located in the state of Georgia and is the capital of Athens-Clark County. Previously, on the area occupied by the modern settlement, there was a trading settlement of Cedar Shoals. At the beginning of 1785, on the hill next to it, it was decided to found the University. But its construction began 16 years later. The first building of the educational institution was erected from logs. Gradually, the area next to it began to be built up. The first buildings of the future city consisted of three residential buildings and shops. During the American Revolution, Athens was the center for the supply of weapons. See Georgia counties.
In its centenary, the city has changed a lot. In 1904, the construction of a new town hall was completed. A few years later, a theater was opened where black actors performed. In 1908, the first high-rise building of the Southern Insurance Company appeared in the city. Athens is famous for its famous residents: musician Jeff Daniels, director Alex Kendrick, guitarist Ryan Key, actress Kim Basinger, songwriter Malden Peyrou.
ATLANTA
Population: 447.841 thousand people (2013)
Area: 343.0 sq. km
Founded: 1837
City status since: 1847
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Altitude: 225 m
The capital and largest city of Georgia is Atlanta. This city, located in the Chattahoochee Valley, is an international business, information and transportation center. The agglomeration, which includes about 140 settlements, is considered the fastest growing in the United States.
The original inhabitants of the territory of modern Atlanta are the Cherokee and Creek Indians. At one time they fought fierce wars with the colonists. Therefore, the development of these lands proceeded at a slow pace. Only in 1823 did settlers come here. Atlanta began as a small town near the station of the Western Atlantic Railroad in 1837. It was originally called Marthasville. After 10 years, engineer J. Thomson proposed the name “Atlanta”, which was liked by the locals. During the Civil War, the Battle of Atlanta lasted for 4 months in 1864. The result of the battle was the complete burning of the city by the army of the “northerners”. Only churches and hospitals remained intact.
Quickly recovering from the war, Atlanta acquired the status of an important economic center of the Southeast United States. The following facts testify to the success of the city: in 1892 the Coca-Cola company was founded here, the headquarters of the CNN news agency and some other companies are located in Atlanta, the city’s airport is the busiest airport in the world, and in 1996 Atlanta hosted the 26th Summer Olympic Games. In addition, Atlanta was once the center of the struggle of the African American population for civil rights, and the most famous native of the city is the leader of this movement, the preacher Martin Luther King.
Atlanta has not retained its historic center with 19th century buildings. But it boasts examples of modern post-modern and high-tech architecture. The sights of the city include five skyscrapers over 200 meters high, headed by the Bank of America Plaza (312 meters), numerous hotels (especially the Hyatt Agency), shopping centers, museums, art centers. Also in Atlanta there are luxurious mansions, various parks, an aquarium. Significant tourist sites are the Olympic Village and sports arenas.
COLUMBUS
Population: 198.413 thousand people (2012)
Area: 572.0 sq. km
Founded: 1828
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Columbus is a historic city located in western Georgia (known as the “Peach State” in the US). This city ranks second in terms of the number of inhabitants in the state.
This amazing and extraordinary city got its name in honor of Christopher Columbus, who founded it back in 1828. By 1860, the city of Columbus was one of the state’s dominant industrial centers. In the historical aspect, the city also hosted the fateful events for America during the Civil War.
In this historic city, you can visit one of the magnificent in its architectural features and saturation of programs (famous performers and theatrical productions) the Springer Opera House, which was built in 1871. This is one of the most famous and pompous theaters in America.
Also in this city is one of the famous and extraordinary museums (one of 15 existing in the world), which presents visitors not only a complete collection of lunch boxes (more than 1000 boxes), but also a detailed historical dynamics of their appearance (from tin products to plastic technologies).
Columbus is home to a large number of historical museums, parks, state-of-the-art centers for new technologies and unforgettable places for recreation for city visitors. A favorite place for tourists is one of the largest aquariums in the United States, which holds a huge amount of water and representatives of the aquatic world (about 500 inhabitants). For visitors to this underwater world, there is a unique and unforgettable opportunity to be at the bottom of the ocean.
